After a four year hiatus, the Việt Nam Caricature Contest is open for applications again.

Tricky Dicky: A caricature by artist Võ An Lai during the resistance war against the US. — Photo courtesy of the organisation board

The fifth edition of the contest was launched at the National Centre for News by Sport& Culture newspapers yesterday, themed ‘Cultural Behaviours: Civilised Society’.

According to the organising board, the aim of the contest is to encourage caricature drawing among “painting journalists” nationwide, offer new spiritual food for thought to audiences, promote the art form and honour caricaturists.

“This year’s theme will use the laughter of caricatures to remind each person of proper behaviour in every place,” said the editor-in-chief of Sport & Culture newspaper Lê Xuân Thành.

“We all know that laughter is the best medicine; therefore, caricature not only criticises uncultured behaviours but also supports civilised ones. We believe that caricatures can lead to positive changes in behavioural culture in the community, which is also a way to promote the 96-year tradition of Việt Nam’s caricature.”

The contest is open to all applicants, including professional and amateur caricaturists, both Vietnamese and foreigners living in Việt Nam, though all entries must be published in a Vietnamese newspaper from the start of this year until the end of the contest, December 1.

The winning caricaturists, besides receiving cash awards, will have their work exhibited in public spaces including the pedestrian zone around Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hà Nội and book street Nguyễn Văn Bình in HCM City, aiming to bring caricatures closer to the public and raise awareness about behavioural culture.

Also yesterday, an art exhibition showcasing typical Vietnamese caricatures that have been published in newspapers since 1922 - the year that Nguyễn Ái Quốc or President Hồ Chí Minh started drawing caricatures while he was in France – also opened at the National Centre for News, at 5 Lý Thường Kiệt Street in Hà Nội.

More than 100 works are on display, divided into five categories: from 1922 to 1945; caricatures during the resistant war against the French; caricatures during the resistant war against the US; caricatures during the đổi mới (Renewal) era; caricatures today and the winning works in the four previous caricature contests.

The exhibition will conclude on April 10.

The first Việt Nam Caricature Contest was launched on 2007 and was held annually until 2014.